Madison County Red Raiders

Reprinted from the Athens Banner-Herald October 31, 2006 edition | | Story updated at 10:29 PM on Tuesday, October 31, 2006 Although Friday's rain stopped before the Region 8-AAAA North match-up between Madison County and Jackson County, the conditions didn't look favorable for a diversified offense.
Keeping the ball on the ground seemed like a good strategy. Working against the Jackson County defense and the elements, Red Raiders sophomore Aldreakis Allen didn't seem to have any trouble hanging on to passes from quarterback Jarrod Owens. It was what happened after Allen made catches that caused aggravation. "Al struggled early," Madison County coach Randell Owens said of his team's top receiver. "He'd try to plant and then burst, but his wheels kept spinning out from under him. He was very frustrated, but he had to figure out what he was doing. We told him to run at the (defender) and then cut, so he made the adjustment." Said Allen: "There were plenty of puddles everywhere. I couldn't plant well and kept sliding. (Owens) said to take shorter, choppy steps when I was trying to cut. "It worked out well." It worked out so well that Allen finished the game - which Madison County won 36-17 to keep pace in the chase for a region playoff berth - with 11 receptions for 159 yards and a 38-yard touchdown catch. The versatile back also had a 12-yard touchdown run. Allen said his most memorable play was his touchdown grab from Jarrod Owens, which started as a short pass. "It was just a little tunnel screen," he said. "I did a three-step comeback, got behind the wall and took off." For the season, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Allen has caught 46 passes for 627 yards and four touchdowns and has run for two additional scores. He has posted 100-plus-yard receiving performances against Eastside (a 10-7 win on Sept. 15) and Elbert County (a 49-7 victory on Sept. 8). "We list Al as a tailback but we move him all over," said Owens, who added he believes Allen has committed only one turnover the entire season. "He's our best deep-ball threat but a lot of his stuff comes from the shuttle pass. If we were an I-team, he'd be our tailback, but we need him everywhere." Allen's rushing statistics aren't as impressive as his aerial numbers, but he sees plenty of activity due to his ability to run and catch. But it's clear his contribution against Jackson County was the most significant of the season. Allen said Owens' pregame speech about having an 'opportunity for greatness' inspired him. "It was a huge game, one we really needed to nail down," said Owens, whose Red Raiders are 6-2 overall and in third place in the sub-region with a 3-2 mark. "Al showed a lot of maturity for us. It would have been a great game on any night, but with the field conditions the way they were, I didn't think we'' be throwing it around as much." But the play calling didn't bother Allen. "I like to line up at receiver," he said. "But maybe later in my career, I'll wind up more coming out of the backfield. But at receiver, I can make the plays and block for the guys. I don't want to be the center of attention; I just want to get out there and let it go." Madison County visits Winder-Barrow (1-7, 0-5) for its final regular-season game on Friday. A region playoff game will follow on Nov. 10. But the Red Raiders' win against Jackson County was also significant because it gave the team back-to-back-to-back winning seasons (while playing a region schedule) for the first time in school history. If the team makes the Class AAAA state playoffs, it will be only the second time Madison County has been in the postseason since 1983. Reprinted from the Athens Banner-Herald October 31, 2006 edition

Reprinted from the Athens Banner-Herald October 28, 2006 edition Madison County 36, Jackson County 17 By Tom Marine | sports@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 2:38 AM on Saturday, October 28, 2006 JEFFERSON - Madison County took another step toward the Region 8-AAAA playoffs on a rainy Friday night. The Red Raiders, led by three outstanding individual performances, outlasted the rain and Jackson County 36-17 at Panther Stadium. Jarvis Long, Jarrod Owens and Aldreakos Allen provided Madison County with a three-headed offense attack that consistently moved the ball throughout the game. "We wanted to come in and make history," said Long, a running back. "Our coach asked us to get a big win here." The win gave Madison County (6-2, 3-2 in Region 8-AAAA North) sole possession of third place in its sub-region with one game left in the season. This year, Region 8-AAAA will have a one-game playoff by placing the top four teams in both the North and South against each other. The winners of those games will advance to the state playoffs. "The team has come a long way," Madison County coach Randell Owens said. "The biggest thing is togetherness. We're probably not as athletically talented as we were last year, but we have better team accord than we have ever had." The Red Raiders were definitely in sync. They accumulated 454 yards in total offense. Long ran for 112 yards, and Owens threw for 221 yards, mainly to Allen, who caught 11 passes for 159 yards. After Madison County scored to put the Red Raiders up 29-7, Panthers running back Adarius Hendrix took the following kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. Two plays later, Taylor Kennedy intercepted Owens' pass, which set up Zach Turner's 37-yard field goal. The Red Raiders then settled down and ran a time-consuming nine-play touchdown drive that pushed the lead to 36-17. The Panthers never recovered. "We scraped. It may be a loss on the scoreboard, but our kids grew," Jackson County coach Frank Caputo said. "I just appreciate our kids playing so hard." The Red Raiders are priming themselves for a playoff run, but must first take care of Winder-Barrow next week. "The next step is to go out there and play Winder and just play hard," Allen said. "I wished we had finished second (in Region 8-AAAA North), but now we have to go out there and finish strong." Game report • Turning Point: After Jackson County took a 7-0 lead, Madison County scored three touchdowns, including one as the first half expired, to take a 22-7 lead into halftime. • Key Stat: The Red Raiders threw for 221 yards. • Impact: The Red Raiders put themselves in strong position to secure a Region 8-AAAA playoff berth. Published in the Athens Banner-Herald edition on 102806.